The new Perseus A500 anaesthesia workstation, from DRÄGER, can support the training of young anaesthesiologists with its assistant function, making a contribution to patient safety in the OR.
“Particularly for young colleagues, it is difficult to precisely estimate the anaesthetic gas concentration in the expiration gas through all anaesthetic phases on the basis of the Vapour setting alone, especially with low flow anaesthetics,” explained Dr Bert Mierke, chief physician of the department for anaesthesiology and intensive medicine at the St. Elisabeth Hospital in Damme, Germany. The VaporView function on the Perseus A500 visualises the calculated current and presumable concentration of the anaesthetic gas in the expiration gas of an adult patient. It displays the development of the anaesthetic gas concentration in the inspiration gas and the expiration gas of the last ten minutes and provides a preview of a period of 20 minutes in graphic form on the monitor. “If the fresh gas flow is reduced after the introduction phase and the re-breathing of the patient increases consecutively, we use comparably less anaesthetic gas, and at the same time, establish a better breathing gas acclimation,” commented Dr Mierke. VaporView supports anaesthetists in being able to better estimate the anaesthetic gas concentration in the inspiration gas and expiration gas. If the Vapour setting is changed, VaporView displays the calculated anaesthetic gas concentration in the preview mode, before it is actually administered to the patient. This allows the setting of the vapour to be adjusted to the condition of an adult patient more easily. “This helps us to provide a safe dosage and avoid underdoses and overdoses”, said Dr Mierke.
